United Way, Accenture Collaborate to Explore Talent Pool - Jobs Result

Through its apprenticeship program, Accenture explores talent pools outside its traditional pipeline of college graduates, tech and MBA students. Identifying and reaching potential candidates for the program is a key priority and in Connecticut, Accenture turned to Connecticut’s United For ALICE Report to help shape the local program.

ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) is a data-driven research initiative that researches the minimum income needed to pay for household essentials. Connecticut United Ways rely on ALICE data in their work to mobilize solutions to build stronger, more resilient and more equitable communities where everyone can thrive. Using this true measure of financial hardship in Connecticut, Accenture realized that not all potential employees are starting at the same place. 

 “The ALICE Report was instrumental in helping us shape our apprentice program in Connecticut. In addition to highlighting financial needs of potential candidates, the report also highlighted the need to develop deep technology skills in the workforce. Using the insights, we designed a one-year apprentice program specific to Hartford that includes key benefits such as paid parking, child care discounts, food pantry access and mental health resources,” said Carol Quinn Toomey, Hartford Office Managing Director at Accenture. 

“We teamed with Capital Community College to provide these services in addition to in-depth training in valuable and transferable technical skills they can use and take with them. As a result, our apprenticeship program in Connecticut has been a success and we have permanently hired apprentices who bring diverse backgrounds and experiences,” she added.

“Our latest ALICE report tells us that nearly 600,000 households across our state struggle every month to make ends meet. It’s inspiring to see an employer like Accenture using the data in the ALICE report to help design a successful program to address the needs of employee candidates, to support them while they build the skills to contribute to Accenture's work while they build a path to earn a wage that will support a family, highlighted Lisa Tepper Bates, President and CEO of United Way of Connecticut. “Everyone wins! We hope more employers will follow this example.” 

 “The Federal Poverty Level was set in the 1960s and doesn’t reflect the realities that struggling families face today. The ALICE measures were created to provide a more accurate and current picture of financial hardship in our communities,” pointed out Stephanie Hoopes, National Director of United for ALICE.

“For example, in Connecticut in 2022 a family of four needed closer to $115,000 just to afford the basics — nearly four times the outdated $30,000 Federal Poverty Level. The good news is that changemakers are stepping up to help ALICE rise, using the ALICE data. Companies are adjusting wages, credit unions are redesigning financial products for their ALICE clients, and even hospitals are making creative hires to better support their ALICE patients.”

As an example of the impact, officials described the circumstances experienced by Brian Noble, for whom life was a constant struggle for him and his family before he joined Accenture.   He recalled, “We were caught in a cycle where every paycheck felt like a balancing act — choosing between paying rent or buying groceries. We couldn’t put down roots with a steady place to live, and fun activities with the kids were rare luxuries we couldn’t afford. My wife faced challenges too, as she couldn’t take days off easily since her job didn’t offer paid time off.”

He continued “Every month, we juggled which bills we could afford to pay, and despite working more than 45 hours a week, I still couldn’t make ends meet. We could only afford clothes from thrift stores, and hobbies were a distant dream. Car maintenance was nearly impossible to keep up with, and we didn’t have a savings account — our checking account was constantly in the negative.”

Noble went on to explain that when he found the apprenticeship program at Accenture, the opportunity was a turning point for him and his family.

“It gave me the chance to build a stable career, and with it came financial stability and peace of mind. Now, we can afford to pay rent and buy groceries without asking for help. We’ve been able to put down roots with a steady place to live, and we can enjoy more fun activities with the kids. “

Noble expressed gratitude for the apprenticeship program and the positive impact it has had. It didn’t just change his career — it transformed his family’s life by giving them stability, freedom and the ability to enjoy life in ways they never thought possible, officials emphasized.